Slow Food, Earth Fare plan wine tasting

Dec. 5, 2013

Written by

Staff Writer

Explore the World of Wines

Slow Food Upstate and Earth Fare will present a special wine and cheese pairing event Dec. 6. The tasting will include a look at 10 Old World wines, cheeses, olives and other food from Earth Fare.

Winemaker and sommelier Renato Vicario will lead the wine tasting. Vicario will also discuss the proper way to store and to serve wine, as well as how to read a wine label.

Vicario launched his own line of wines earlier this year, and he will have tastes of VICARIO wines available as well.

The tasting will be held from 5-7 p.m. this evening in the community room at Earth Fare at 3620 Pelham Road. Cost for the wine tasting is a $5 donation to benefit Slow Food Upstate’s 2014 children’s education programs.

“Our mission, along with Earth Fare’s company philosophy, is to help children to make healthy choices in order to fight obesity and to encourage a long life of pleasure at the table coupled with responsible decisions,” says Jan Wesley, chapter leader, Slow Food Upstate.

The Community Tap is moving

The Community Tap is moving three doors down. The 3½ -year-old craft beer and wine store will be moving to the larger space formerly occupied by Urban Digs at the Stone’s Point shopping plaza in early January.

The move has been in the works since the summer, and was approved by the city in November. The reason for the long process? The new location will — fingers crossed — serve a few food items.

Owners Ed Buffington and Mike Okupinski are talking with some regional suppliers, but nothing’s set in stone just yet.

“When there is not a food truck out front and people want to come in and get some beers we want to give them something to snack on,” Buffington says. “We don’t want to get into the food business, just snacks.”

The new location will offer almost 50 percent more space. Buffington says there are plans to build a deck off the side that will create 30 outdoor seats as well.

Inside, customers will see a slight shift in product. The 12-tap growler station will stay the same, though Buffington and Okupinski are looking to create a separate cider tap in the near future.

“It’s a growing category,” Buffington says. “And then there are people who are just trying to stay away from gluten too.”

In addition, TCT will be expanding its cold beer options. They’ll replace the current three-door cooler with a six-door oneThe current cooler will be used for single bottles of beer and more craft wines.

The big move is set to take place the first week of January.

“I’ve looked at each year as a different phase of the life cycle of the business,” Buffington says.